The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-01-27
From, the Baptist Courier.

in the Courier two weeks ago concerning
prohibition in Anderson as remarkable
utterance for religious newspaper, and
proceeds to administer what it regards no
doubt as deserved rebuke for presumpt-
uous interference in matter that did not
concern us. The remark which displeas.
ed our contemporary was in these words:
"We did not approve the methods by
which the victory at the polls was gained
in Anderson" While the remark was
not intended to precipitate discussion
of the methods referred to, yet we do not
object seriously to giving our views con.
cerniDg them, especially if it will be any
comfort to our contemporary to have
them. We had no idea when the sen.
tence was penned that it would give
offence, or that it would be made the
occasion for an unjust attack upon US.
The extreme sensitiveness displayed by
the INTELLIGENcER is accounted for
only by the fact that it was through the
advice of it's editor thatsthc method
referved to was adopted by the prohibi'
ton leaders, and while it is perfectly
natural that it should defend the course
pursued, we did not expect such dis
play of irascibility on the subject. The
best of motives prompted the article, and
the bit of criticism, if criticism it can be
called, was mere incidental remark,
and was not intended to chafe or irritate,
and we are surprised that it had such an
effect.
We are asked to point out the methods
resorted 10 in the late election which we
disapproved. There was but a single
method, really, which we considered
unwise and i'll advised, and to which our
remark was intended to apply and to
state it briefly and concisely, it was this: {:
The City Council Of Anderson, at the
instance of the representative of the pro-
hibitionists, "directed the registration
only OF registered voters who had resided
six months in the city;" or, in other
words, of only such persons as could
produce a State registration certificate.
1t is claimed that this was necessary in
order to make the election conform to
law, but it is admitted at the same time
that it was requirement that had not
been enforced in previous elections; and
it must have been known to the persons
seeking the enforcement Of this new aud
stringent measure that the voters gener.
ally were not prepared to comply with it.
It must be remembered that compare
lively few persons have regarded their
registration certificates of sufficient worth
to be preserved, in as much as the law is
practically dead.letter even in State
elections. 1t has served its purpose, and
is no longer enforced, except in certain
localities. This made its unexpected
enforcement in the Anderson election a
hardship, in that it practically disquali-
fed large majority of the voters of the
city. The very object for which the
election WAS appointed, namely, to ascer-
tain the will of the electors Of the city
regarding the sale of intoxicating liquors
within its limits, was defeated, and that,
too, through the efforts Of the parties
first to seek an expression of that will.
The vote polle1 demonstrates this fact,
for out of voting population of five
hundred or more, only 1SS persons were
registered, and of this number some Is or
20 did not vote. For this result the
leaders of the prohibition party are re.
sponsible. They took the initiative in
seeking TO know what the citizens desired,
and then resorted to q measure which
prevented an expression of their desire.
This is what we disapproved, and what
many other prohibitionists besides our
selves disapproved. Not that the town
was carried dry, for that was what we
desired and hoped for, but that meana
we're used in the campaign which savor-
ed of bad faith, ard which will have a
bad influence in other similar contests.
1t is not enough to say that this rcsult
was gained through the enforcement oi
the law, when the law is complicated
was not understood, and has hitherto
been construed differently. Great wrongs
have been committed under the forms Of
law, as the editor of the INTELL1GENCER
we'll knows and the prohibitionists had
better maintain good name than to in.
sist on too strict construction and en-
forcement of such points as the one
raised in Anderson. In our Judgment
it would have been better to have allowed
the registration to proceed as usual, and
to have employed other means to prevent
unfairness and rascality at the polls.
The INTELL1GENcER thinks it strange
that We should this year condemn the
methods by which the town was carried
dry, when we had nothing TO say two
years ago about the methods by which it
was carried wet. We knew nothing OF
the methods of which our contemporary
speaks, and therefore, had nothing to say
about them. Moreover, it is expected OF
saloon keepers that they will resort 10
any and every meaus. without any regard
whatever for fairness, to carry their
point, and when, therefore, they are
guilty of improper conduct it causes no
surprise. They have nothing to loae.
We beg to dissent from the opinion
that to criticise the modes by which pro-
hibition elections are conducted "does
not come within our province" The
Courier belongs to the great prohibition
army, and has ever contended and will
continue to contend for the principles it
represents and which it is seeking to in.
still into the minds and hearts of our
noonlo hpt II elaine the ripht tn renrOve